10 Black Love romance books you need to read ASAP

2022 has been a huge year for romance books. More and more, we’re seeing stories most of us have been dreaming about.

Whether it’s because of the character, the tropes, or the story in general, romance books are finally getting the respect the genre deserves. Maybe it’s in part to #BookTok or people taking notice of how extensive the romance community really is.

However, one area in which romance books still lack is Black Love stories. Either way, it’s the perfect time to recommend some Black love stories. Whether they’re self-published, indie-published, or traditionally published, it’s time readers show respect to not only these books but these authors.

While this is just going to be a list of 10 books, there are thousands, if not millions of Black love romance books you need to get your hands on.

These first five Black love romances books were all traditionally published.

Let’s begin with some traditionally published Black love romance books. These are books published by large publishing houses or “traditional” publications. The first has to be one I haven’t stopped talking about and that’s Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley. This is a fake-dating romance between two co-workers who end up reaping different benefits until real feelings start getting involved.

Another one I’ve discussed before is Summoning Up Love by Synithia Williams. This is a small-town romance following a woman who has recently lost her job and the local hottie coming to do a ghost-hunting adventure at her grandmother’s house. While she wants to dislike him, sparks fly and it goes from there.

Keeping with the Harlequin theme, The Wife He Needs by Brenda Jackson is a spin-off series of a LONG series of hers but it follows Garth who needs to get married, and Reagan, his pilot and family friend. After Garth gets stood up, he invites Reagan to stay with him, resulting in her proving that she’s the wife he needs as evidenced by the title.

Next up is a publication from Montlake which is actually part of Amazon’s publishing group so I’d consider it a “traditional” publishing house. Either way, Digging Up Love by Chandra Blumberg is the ultimate rom-com. This is a romance between Alisha who runs her grandfather’s restaurant and Quentin, a paleontologist who meets her after dinosaur bones are discovered in her grandparents’ yard.

Despite being a low-heat romance, these two have such good chemistry and the author makes sure the two are fleshed out. While it can seem a bit busy at times, this book is a lot of fun and one that’s perfect if you’re looking for a sweet romance.

Last but certainly not least is the second book in a series but can be read as a standalone. The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon features a romance between a personal trainer, Taylor, and Jamar, the football player she’s trying to help get back into the NFL. These two agree to fake-date to help each other and of course, real feelings develop. This book is pretty hard-hitting at times, but if you can handle it, this book is a delight.

These next five romance books are self-published Black love stories.

I’d be remiss to not include Christina C Jones on this list as she’s my favorite romance author. Her books are absolutely delightful. However, the best place to start is either her Wright Brothers series or the Love Sisters series as they’re all Black love stories and cover a wide array of tropes. They’re honestly short and sweet so you get a chance to see if her writing style is for you.

Keeping with the short theme, Love By The Books by Té Russ is a romance between a literary agent and a bookstore owner. While it’s pretty short, this book does focus on MMC’s father having cancer if you can’t handle that. However, if you can, this book is steamy, and fun while still focusing on books and the publishing industry.

If you’re looking for a longer book, Shae Sanders’ Crave duet is exactly what you need. This is a Black love story between a woman and the boyband she ends up staying next to. It ends up being a relationship between her and all of them aka a reverse harem. Honestly, this book is messy and sexy and just everything you need in your life.

Friends-to-lovers can be a difficult trope to write but Go Deep by Rilzy Adams will make you love it. This book follows two best friends, one a romance writer who can’t write and her best friend that she enlists for some uh help. The two quickly realize their connection is much deeper than they imagined and the story goes from there. This one is super hot and steamy if you’re in the mood for that.

Last but not least, Warmth by D. Rose is the ultimate comfort read. This is a short novella following two coworkers who hook up once and can’t get enough of each other but she is reluctant to start a new relationship so it’s essentially them working through their issues and coming together. This is also a great place to start if you’ve never read D. Rose before as she has a pretty extensive backlist.

While finding traditionally published Black romances can be hard, the indie world is an entirely different ballgame. Frankly, if you’re not getting recommended Black romances, then you might need to curate who you follow. Either way, hopefully, you were able to find a new book or author to check out from this list.

What Black romance books are on your TBR? Be sure to share all of your recs in the comments.